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Meet our verification concept founders who developed VerifiedHuman™. Our verification concept founders bring deep thinking to human content authenticity. + DEVELOPMENT TEAM Real people who value real work created by real people. Just like us, we value human-made work and creativity. Technology is a huge part of our lives and we believe AI can be used to promote equity and highlight the uniqueness of human creativity. VerifiedHuman" isn't just about telling apart what's made by humans from what's made by AI. It's also about celebrating the importance of every person's contributions." Our current consortium › Founder Micah Voraritskul WRITER & EDITOR The Sharp Pencil Contact › Ethics Daniel Allen PRINCIPAL Simeon Leadership Group Daniel Allen Coaching › LinkedIn › Business Laura Bowser B2B CONSULTANT Strategy, HR, Finance LinkedIn › Communications Charles Brian Conn DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS University & Graduate Education LinkedIn › Film & Music Andy Edmunds DIRECTOR The Virginia Film Office The Virginia Film Office › LinkedIn › Strategy, Technology Ryan Emmons VP OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Luck Companies LinkedIn › Business Bill Farnham ASSOCIATE PARTNER Kyndryl NA LinkedIn › Non-profit Michael Hodges PRODUCER & MEDIA DIRECTOR Freelance LinkedIn › Special Advisor Klaus Luehning PROFESSOR OF MARINE ENGINEERING Texas A&M, Retired Writing on AI › Special Advisor Craig Martin CO-HOST/PRODUCER The Good Road Good All Over › LinkedIn › Advisor Carl Miller INSURANCE RVP Retired LinkedIn › Coordinator Debbie Miller SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR Retired Business Carolyn Strand Norman CHAIR OF ACCOUNTING Virginia Commonwealth University, Retired LinkedIn › Education & Ethics Elizabeth Pace EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT University & Graduate Education LinkedIn › Marketing Tamee Roberts PRESIDENT & FOUNDER 1M2Es LinkedIn › Advisor Paul Rustand DIRECTOR Widgets & Stone Widgets & Stone › LinkedIn › Special Advisor Glen Sheehan CREATIVE & BRAND CONSULTING Freelance glensheehan.com › LinkedIn › Visual Arts Casey Templeton COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER Freelance Casey Templeton Photography › LinkedIn › Special Advisor Kristy Voraritskul VISUAL ARTIST Freelance LinkedIn ›

Discover academic verification resources for educational institutions. Our academic verification resources help maintain creative integrity in learning environments. for EDUCATION Teaching, learning, personal interactions, and discovery are fundamental to the human experience. AI should enhance, not undermine, teaching and learning. That's why educators worldwide are joining our movement to protect the integrity of education in an AI world. Join now Students, teachers, and administrators can join as individuals in any category to contribute to learning environments where human understanding and AI integrate seamlessly.

Learn about our human content verification mission and methodology. Our human content verification helps creators establish authenticity in the AI era. + ABOUT VerifiedHuman™ We are a collective of creatives, thinkers, educators, translators, engineers, writers, visual artists, musicians, voice actors, craftswomen & men, filmmakers, philosophers, and just about everything in between. Shape the future with us We are just like you . People who value authentic human work. We are optimists and problem-solvers. We don't despair in the face of progress. We embrace it and choose to move with it. For us, the challenges posed by AI aren't problems to mitigate but opportunities to drive society toward equity–to shine a light on individual human contribution in an evolving world. In this way, VerifiedHuman™ is not simply a model for human-AI differentiation. Instead, the ideals we share become part of a new global appreciation for the inherent value of every human person. Development team › Our current consortium › More › Our mission › Generative AI has created a problem: distinguishing between what humans and machines create. We do what humans have always done. Figure it out. Find and use better tools. Make things that matter. Trust in the greater good. What are we to do? A big part of the solution... VerifiedHuman™ doesn't claim all the answers, but we're shining a light on a huge (surprisingly absent) part of the solution. Get more info › Everyone wins. When we embrace the benefits of AI and are transparent about how we create, everyone wins. ...Starts with a simple question This isn't a problem laws can solve. Nor technology. People have to solve it. It's a people problem. So we asked a simple question. Is there a human solution? Get more info › DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE "The value of trust should not be dismissed. It is paramount in this effort...we believe the human ethical spirit remains intact, and we must leverage it." –Founders APR 2023 | + VerifiedHuman™ begins as a think tank by Micah Voraritskul to address AI legislation and technology gaps. + We seek to answer a question: How can we differentiate between AI-created and human-created content while considering human behavior and relying on values like trust, accountability, and equity? MAY 2023 | + We announce the completion of Standards for Writers , Visual Artists , and Musicians . + Launch a free subscription for the Label. SUMM 2023 | + We begin developing models to verify written work for schools and organizations with third-party auditing technologies. + Release the Standard for Organizations . FALL 2023 | + We begin developing models to verify written work for schools and organizations with third-party auditing technologies. + Release the Standard for Voice Actors . 2024 | 2025 + We begin developing models to verify written work for schools and organizations with third-party auditing technologies. + Release the Human-AI Spectrum . + Founder Micah Voraritskul Releases a book about VerifiedHuman™ titled Human is the New Vinyl: Human Creativity and the AI Revolution. Get in touch with the Founder ›

Last fall, two datasticians, one from NYU and one from Washington U, recently published hard numbers in the SSRN repository (to add to work already compiled by some at Harvard and Boston Consulting) on the negative impact ChatGPT is having on the creative industries. “The study’s conclusions were hardly surprising, but which someone had to provide concrete data for, and that’s what we academics are for: the introduction of the ChatGPT generative algorithm a year ago has had significant negative effects on creative professions such as graphic designers and copywriters.”* The drop in jobs available for bid AND earnings is a clear sign (not surprisingly) that AI Chatbots are cutting into the human job market. AI startups are a dime a dozen. We wade through the newsfeed every day and click on the incessantly growing number of sites representing companies claiming a new angle on how to turn AI into dollars for YOU. Bigger, smarter, faster, but also more specific, nuanced, and focused on precisely how you can make your profits. We (VerifiedHuman™) have tried to be neutral observers about what could and probably would happen as AI technology has proliferated in the year of AI, 2023. So far, we’ve been correct: AI is here to stay. AI will continue to put a massive hurt on the arts and creative media production, where humans are doing things the way they have been until 2022. Human creators will have to figure out how to adapt to a new normal and capitalize on the kinds of things that only humans can bring: experience, emotion, and the true stuff of living. Detecting generative AI’s influence in created media will become virtually impossible for humans or machines. Technology will not answer the differentiation problem (neither in detection, encryption, or watermarking). Legislation (laws and copyrights) will be largely irrelevant to the pragmatic masses. And machines don’t give a rip about watermarks or human laws. They are irrelevant. What remains? The value of human trust. We have a lot to say about trust and verification. That’s what we do. We watched the the Hollywood strikes of 2023 come and go. We’ve seen the pleas from industry professionals like Billie Eilish, et. al. And we have been in real conversations with real writers, visual artists, musicians, and voice actors whose livelihoods are at risk. And all along the way, we have tried to maintain the fine line between supporting AI development and protecting the unique human touch. Are we surprised by any of this? Not even a little bit. Are we rightly concerned? Absolutely. Are we daunted? That would be a hard “Nope.” People win. You can join us or see our work at VerifiedHuman™ *Quote from Enrique Dans

This is installment two in my “Human is the New Vinyl” series. For part one, click here. The Walkman It was 1985, and I was a wide-eyed ten-year-old eagerly unwrapping my first Sony Walkman on Christmas morning. As I positioned the orange padded earmuff-style headphones over my ears, I didn’t realize that this simple action would mark a ritual of listening that would occupy many decades of my life to come. I slid the cassette into the black plastic magic-maker with giddy fingers, locked the lid, and pushed play. Instantly, I was transported to Prince’s recording studio, hearing his raw lyrical genius come to life. My entrée into the enchanting universe of portable, high-fidelity music was a defining moment. But the story of vinyl records began long before my personal journey. It’s a tale woven with innovation, cultural impact, and resilience, stretching back to the early days of sound recording in the late 19th century. From the rise of radio and the golden age of vinyl to the digital revolution and vinyl’s surprising resurgence, this is the fascinating journey of a medium that has left an indelible mark on music history. The Early Days of Vinyl The story of vinyl is a captivating blend of invention, technology, and people’s love of music. In the late 19th century, American inventor Thomas Edison introduced his phonograph, which used tinfoil wrapped around a cylinder-shaped drum to record and playback sound. German engineer Emile Berliner’s gramophone, which played flat shellac discs, was a closer cousin to modern records. In 1901, the Victor Talking Machine Company released the first commercially successful record featuring world-famous Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso. The “Red Seal” record was a hit with consumers, and suddenly, the once unimaginable became a reality: people worldwide could enjoy world-class performances in the comfort of their living rooms. The 1920s saw further advancements in recording technology with the introduction of electrical recording. This enabled new powered amplifiers and multiple microphones to produce and capture a broader range of sound frequencies while electromagnetic recording heads cut detailed inscriptions on recording surfaces. The rise of radio broadcasting during this time also increased the demand for recorded music, with vinyl records becoming the primary medium for radio stations to play music on air. The Golden Age of Vinyl The 1940s and 1950s marked a golden age for vinyl. In 1948, Columbia Records introduced the first long-playing (LP) record, a 12-inch disc spinning at 33 1/3 RPM that could hold over 20 minutes of music per side. The following year, RCA Victor released the 45 RPM single, a smaller 7-inch disc that became the standard for individual track releases. These innovations revolutionized the music industry, allowing for longer recordings and the ability to purchase and play individual songs at will. The 1950s and 1960s saw further technological advancements, such as stereo recording and multi-track technology, which enhanced the listening experience. Iconic albums from artists like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, and Michael Jackson showcased vinyl’s importance and cultural impact. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Dark Side of the Moon, Highway 61 Revisited, and Thriller are just a few examples of the groundbreaking records that defined this era and continue to influence music today. Alongside these developments, a thriving “jukebox culture” emerged, with 45 RPM singles becoming the lifeblood of bars, diners, and clubs across America. The colorful, chrome-adorned jukeboxes, with their neat rows of vinyl records under clear glass, symbolized the spirit and diversity of the times. They were a gathering point for music lovers, a place where people could come together, dance, and lose themselves in the music. The Digital Revolution But in 1982, everything changed. The introduction of CDs marked the beginning of the digital age in music, and the shift was swift and dramatic. I remember when my older brothers unveiled their new component CD player, and I marveled at the digital sound, which was exquisite compared to my grubby, road-weary cassette tapes. CDs offered numerous benefits: durability, portability, the ability to skip tracks, enhanced sound quality, and longer playing times. They quickly gained market share, signaling a new era of music consumption. While less popular than vinyl, Cassette tapes provided a portable alternative for music lovers. I have fond memories of the mixtapes I made and received, custom-curated songs that required intentionality and care to assemble. But even cassettes couldn’t withstand the digital onslaught. The rise of digital audio formats and portable MP3 players in the late 1990s and early 2000s further contributed to vinyl’s decline. The ability to store vast amounts of music in a compact, easy-to-tote format was revolutionary. Vinyl sales plummeted from a staggering 341 million units in 1978 to just 1.5 million in 2006. It seemed like the beginning of the end for the once-triumphant format. Vinyl’s Resurgence Despite the digital revolution, vinyl’s unique allure persisted. Its warm, authentic sound and the tactile experience of playing a record kept it alive among enthusiasts and collectors. In recent years, vinyl has experienced a surprising resurgence, with sales steadily increasing since the mid-2000s. Many music lovers appreciate the ritual of playing a vinyl record, the artwork, and the sense of connection to the music. Jack White of The White Stripes said, “The needle touching down on the record has a warmer and more inviting sound than any other music format. There’s a romance in it. You have to be physically present to play it…There’s something beautiful about that ritual. It demands your attention.” Artists and labels have embraced the format, releasing new albums and reissuing classic titles on vinyl. Record Store Day, an annual event celebrating independent record stores, has played a significant role in the resurgence, with exclusive vinyl releases and in-store performances drawing crowds of music lovers. The appeal of vinyl extends beyond just the sound quality. It’s about the experience, the nostalgia, and the sense of owning a tangible piece of music history. As vinyl collector and enthusiast John Cusack’s character in the film High Fidelity says, “What really matters is what you like, not what you are like… Books, records, films — these things matter.” Vinyl’s journey is a testament to its enduring appeal and cultural significance. From its early days as the dominant music format to its decline in the face of digital technologies and its surprising resurgence, vinyl has proven its resilience. It has weathered the storms of change, adapted to new technologies, and found new generations of fans. As music consumption continues to evolve, with streaming services and digital downloads dominating the landscape, vinyl’s ability to connect listeners to music in a tangible and immersive way ensures its place in the hearts of music lovers. It’s a medium that demands attention and encourages us to slow down and appreciate the art of the album. The story of vinyl reminds us that sometimes, the most meaningful experiences come from the imperfections and rituals that make life rich and textured. It’s a story of innovation, cultural impact, and the enduring power of music to bring people together. Dave Barry once said, “The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel, and vinyl.” And while he may have been waxing tongue in cheek, there’s no denying the profound impact that vinyl has had on the world of music and the lives of countless listeners. Vinyl’s resurgence in the digital age, particularly in the era of artificial intelligence, is a testament to the enduring value of human creativity and the desire for authentic, tactile experiences. As AI continues to shape our world, vinyl’s comeback serves as a reminder that there is still a place for the human touch, for the imperfections and idiosyncrasies that make art and music so compelling. It’s a signal that even in an increasingly automated world, we still crave the warmth and connection that comes from engaging with something created by human hands and hearts. You should do it. If you have a turntable, take your favorite record out of its sleeve, seat it, and drop the needle. Turn up the volume. Appreciate the warmth, the crackles, and the imperfections that make the sound so special. In an era increasingly shaped by algorithms and artificial intelligence, the resurgence of vinyl reminds us of the power and resilience of human creativity, passion, and connection. And while you’re at it, celebrate all that it means to be a human again.

The Inspiration: “Tech-human-tech…..human?” Welcome, new friends. I am Micah Voraritskul, a hopeless generalist and passionate advocate for authentic human creativity in an AI-driven era. I was inspired to write by Madeline Medenski’s recent article, “Tech-human-tech…..human?” in which she reflects on Apple’s recent iPad ad, where the traditional tools of human artistry and creativity are “compressed,” or rather “crushed,” by a machine to form another machine (the iPad). Almost everything about Apple’s ad was wrong. Ms. Medenski nicely articulates the difficulty of innovative human design and AI’s potential role in the future. AI’s Limitations and the Opportunity for Human Creativity One of Ms. Medenski’s primary insights is that AI splendidly repurposes and regurgitates an already “meh” sea of human and AI content, and the results are worse than meh. But maybe the AI wake-up call is what’s needed to push humans to the brink of some novel creative innovation. She said it better: “And that’s why AI might present us with our best opportunity to reclaim some of our creativity and imagination, wherever it exists outside the capitalist realm. Because all of that cheap, trope-filled, repeated material is the only thing that AI can actually do.” I have spent the last eighteen months doing extensive research in generative AI development as it touches on human writing, the visual arts, music, the field of voice acting, and EDU. I think Ms. Medenski is on the money. Exploring the Human-AI Relationship: “Human is the New Vinyl” I am working on a book titled Human is the New Vinyl: Human Creativity in the AI Revolution. In reference to the title of this article, I have thought about subtitling the book The Resurgence of Vinyl in the Digital Age & the Human Resurrection in the AI World. It’s my intention to follow this post/article with a few more as excerpts from sections of the book regarding the rise and demise of vinyl records, the digital revolution and its massive impact on the creative arts, the rise of artificial intelligence as a serious field, and AI’s current, and future impact on human writing, the visual arts, music, voice acting, and education. The Unlikely Comeback of Vinyl Records The analogy is easy. Vinyl records have made a surprising comeback in the past 20 years — an age when digital and portable almost killed it. Vinyl record sales had precipitously declined from about 350 million albums sold annually in the US (pre-CDs) to a meager 900,000 in the mid-2000s. That’s 349 million in the wrong direction. And iPods and smartphones almost sealed vinyl’s execution. But what a Cinderella story it has been! The masses, like me, who care about old records, have been hyperventilating for two decades as sales have rebounded to almost 30 million annually in the US. Even though vinyl as a medium loses the portability game, people almost universally love its authenticity and nostalgia. MP3s, or lossless whatever files on hard drives, simply don’t have that kind of gravitas. In the new age of AI proliferation (post-2022), a slew of creatives have been concerned about the meaning of generative AI for the future of their creative industries. The SAG/AFTRA strikes and WGA negotiations of 2023, the recent open letter from Billie Eilish et. al., as well as numerous court cases involving AI’s encroachment on artists’ rights, AI being trained using their material or replicating likenesses of them, or their work is evidence of the complexity and scale of the human-ai situation. Houston, we have a problem. In Human is the New Vinyl, I talk about how AI is both similar to and different from other historical human innovations in writing, the visual arts, music, etc. In one sense, AI is simply another iteration of creative change; it is just another development of technology that influences media creation, distribution, and consumption. But AI is different because… (1) its scale is unprecedented, (2) it’s steeped in processing human language at its core, (3) its abilities are breathtaking, (4) and its future is open, uncertain, and almost infinitely expansive. AI’s implications on human creativity are likely to be greater than even the invention of the piano, the printing press, or digital photography — all these being mammoth human innovations that have had centuries-long and enormous breadth of influence on almost every human on the planet. AI can make stunningly realistic images, impossible to differentiate from human-created ones. AI can write fluently across a wide variety of general topics in over 100 languages. AI can create, mix, and master music at near-human levels. AI can replicate speech and voices virtually indecipherable from real human ones. But a bunch of us are betting on something: the scrappy essence of authentic human expression will eventually win the day (as it always has), and AI will be relegated to be (as it should be) a tool humans use to make better, richer, and more interesting work — work that is rooted in and expressive of the complications, the beauty, and the mystery of human existence and meaning. The middle space, the space where AI shines — like scraping the edges of the internet for disposable content or creating generalized writing, images, and generic soundscapes is fine, no one is very concerned about these applications. Even Sora’s impressive cinematic accomplishments are interesting to see, but I wouldn’t want to watch an entire movie directed by a machine’s trained imagination when I can see one directed by a human, like Martin Scorsese. I would never treasure a poem, even one with perfect rhyme and meter, written by an algorithm when I could have a messy one written by a human ten-year-old from Michigan. With the sudden and ominous introduction of AI in the world, human creative endeavors are experiencing the same kind of whiplash vinyl records did when CDs hit the market. Later, the advent and widespread MP3 medium nearly killed all physical music sales. Streaming music seemed like yet another death blow! But it wasn’t. Endearingly imperfect, tactile, warm, and historic, vinyl is coming back. People love the ever-fading cover art, the wonky, imperfect grooves, the dust and scratches, and the warm analog sound no lossless file can quite replicate. And just like the glorious vinyl record, humans will rise again to the mainstream of the creative world. Unsurprisingly, Merriam Webster’s word of the year in 2023 was “authentic.” We want what’s real and what’s backed up by lived experience. The AI hype cycle has started and will likely ebb and flow (forever) as a new but indelible part of the human-technological experience. AI is here. It’s here to stay. Its influence will surely grow and transform over time. But AI is nothing without humans. Moreover, humans have been around for a minute, and we’ve learned how to survive and thrive even among the other profundities of our own inventions, like nuclear fission or photography from space. And humans have a funny way of appreciating and seeing what other humans can do. Human will be the new vinyl. I have no doubt. Let’s go, creators. In the face of the new revolution (AI), let’s read, watch, and listen carefully. Better still, let’s write, make, compose, and speak with adaptability, inspiration, and resilience that wells up from the irreplaceable spring of the shared human experience.